Every morning across Africa, rural teachers rise before the sun. They walk long distances, teach in crowded classrooms, and create lessons with limited tools. Why? Because they believe every child deserves a chance to be educated, uplifted, and inspired. Their mission is clear: no child should be left behind simply because of where they were born.
Yet, Sub-Saharan Africa faces a critical teacher shortage, requiring an estimated 15 million more teachers by 2030 to meet the growing demand, and rural areas remain the hardest hit. In some schools, one or two teachers are responsible for hundreds of learners across multiple grade levels, often with no support and limited teaching tools.
This year, World Teachers’ Day 2025 brings renewed attention to these unsung heroes. The Continental Teachers Awards (CTA) and the Pan African Conference on Teacher Education (PACTED 2025) came together October 1 - 3 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to celebrate and strengthen the role of teachers in shaping Africa’s future. Both events reaffirm a shared truth: teachers are at the heart of Agenda 2063 – The Africa We Want.
The Pan African Conference on Teacher Education serves as a regional platform for policy dialogue, professional development, and reimagining teacher training systems across the continent. Humana People to People participated in this key event in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, sharing insights from over three decades of experience in training teachers for rural communities. We highlighted the effectiveness of our teaching pedagogy and the proven impact of our teacher training programs in improving learning in rural primary schools.
The Continental Teachers Awards go beyond recognition. It raises awareness of the immense challenges teachers face, celebrates their resilience and innovation, and honors their role in building stronger, more educated communities. The 2025 awards also showcased exceptional educators from across the continent for their creativity, commitment, and impact on learners and local communities.
In a significant development, Humana People to People partnered with the African Union Commission to introduce a new award category in 2025: Special Recognition for Rural Teachers. This award acknowledges the unique challenges rural educators face and honours their extraordinary contributions. Looking ahead, we will continue to support this category in the 2026 awards.
For over 30 years, Humana People to People has trained teachers who thrive in rural settings, addressing teacher shortages in these communities. Our graduates don’t just manage classrooms, they innovate. We believe that the solution lies not just in increasing the number of teachers, but in transforming how teachers are trained. This includes innovative pedagogies, continuous professional development, fair remuneration, and engaging communities as partners in the educational process.
Our Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) prepare educators with the skills, attitudes, and methods needed to deliver high-quality education in rural settings. The training combines both theory and hands-on practice, equipping teachers to manage multi-grade and multilingual classrooms, integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and experiential learning, and lead community education initiatives.
Graduates from our Teacher Training Colleges become part of a strong network of teachers who continue to collaborate long after graduation. This educator-driven network is active in over 1,000 rural primary schools with more than 1,100 teachers, supports joint lesson planning, the co-creation of teaching materials using locally available resources, and peer learning, often in partnership with parents and communities.
Graduates of our Teacher Training Colleges apply the TRIO Task System methodology to turn rural primary school classrooms into dynamic and engaging learning environments. This approach encourages critical thinking by having students work in groups of three (TRIOs) on both classwork and homework. Through this collaborative structure, learners are empowered to take greater responsibility for their education while building teamwork skills and a strong sense of community.
We work closely with Ministries of Education across Africa; our members operate 33 Teacher Training Colleges in Mozambique, Angola, Malawi, Guinea-Bissau, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Globally, our network includes 55 teacher training colleges across Africa and Asia, with over 68,000 teacher graduates as of 2024.
Learn more in our Transformative Teacher Training publication.
As we celebrate World Teachers’ Day 2025, let us honour the courage, resilience, and dedication of rural teachers who are shaping the future of Africa one child, one classroom, one community at a time.
The Continental Teachers Awards 2025 serve as both a celebration of excellence and a powerful reminder:
“Every child deserves a great teacher. And every great teacher, no matter where they serve, deserves support, development, recognition, and respect.”
Together, we can realize Agenda 2063, a prosperous and peaceful Africa, powered by motivated, well-trained, and valued teachers.